Fastener for floor-coverings



Patented Ian. 3, I899.

' No. 6l7,204.

-J, K. THUMA.

' FASTENER FOB FLOOR COVERINGS.

(Application filed Apr. 6, 1898.)

(No Model.)

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IN VENTOH WITNESSES A TTOHNEYS.

JAMES K. THOMA, OF VINFIELD, KANSAS.

FASTENER FOR FLOOR-COVERINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 617,204, datedJanuary3, 1899.

Application filed. April 6, 1898. Serial No. 676,644. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES K. THOMA, of Vinfield, in the county of Cowleyand State of Kansas, have invented a new and Improved Fastener forFloor-Coverings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved fastenerfor holding down carpets,oil-cloths,rugs,or like floor-coverings, thefastener being simple and durable in construction and arranged to permitof quickly and securely fastening the covering in place on the floor andto permit of conveniently removing the covering whenever desired forcleaning or other purposes and without disturbing or removing thefasteners.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations ofthe same, as will be described hereinafter and then pointed out in theclaims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a perspective view of the improvement in an open position.Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of the same as applied.Fig. 3 isa transverse view of a modified form of the improvement, andFig. 4: is a perspective view of the tool used in connection with thefastener.

The improved fastener is provided with a base-plate A, provided at oneend with an upwardly-extending flange A, on which is pivoted a top plateB, between which and the base-plate the floor-covering is to pass and tobe held in place, as hereinafter more fully described.

From the base-plate A extend downward spikes 0, adapted to be driveninto the floor on which the covering is to be held, so as to secure thefastener in place on the floor, preferably at the corners of the roomand along the base-board thereof, the flange A resting against thebase-board, as plainly indicated in Fig. 2.

On the top of the base-plate A are arranged pins D D, adapted to passthrough the fabric material of the covering to hold the same in place onthe fastener, the upper ends of said pins forming a stop for the topplate B when the latter is swung down upon the top of the covering,as'indicated in Fig. 2. The pin D is extended higher than the pins D andat :its upper end is formed with ashoulderD The pin D projects throughan aperture in the top plate B, and its shoulder D is engaged by oneedge of the aperture, said edge forming a tongue 13, which, with theshoulder of the pin, forms a catch for holding the top plate B in lockedposition, as shown in Fig. 2, the top of the pin being preferablycovered by a hood B formed on the top of the plate B, over the aperturethereof.

The device shown in Fig. 3 is more especially designed for fasteningoil-cloth, for instance, to a carpet already laid, and in this caseinstead of spikes (J the base-plate A is provided withdownwardly-extending prongs O to securely fasten the device in place onthe carpet, the construction of the fastener being otherwise, however,the same as the one above described in reference to Figs. 1 and 2.

The device is used as follows: The fasteners are secured to the floor atthe desired places, the flanges A resting against the baseboard, asplainly indicated in Fig. 2, use being made of a special tool E, (shownin Fig. 4,) formed at its bottom with recesses E E, adapted to fit thepins D D, so that the said tool can be readily set into the upper faceof the base-plate to drive the spikes G into the floor by blows from ahammer on the upper end of the tool E. When the several fasteners.

have been placed and secured in position in the room, then the carpet,rug, or like covering is passed onto the pins D D, the top plate 13being in an uppermost position, as. indicated in Figs. 1 and 3. If thefloor-covering is of very heavy material, use can be made again of thetool E to drive the fabric material upon the pins; but for lightmaterial pressure with the hand suffices for the same purpose. WVhen thecovering has thus been fastened to the pins, the top plate Bis swungdownward and locked in place by the shoulder D engaging the tongue B.The'tool E may be provided with a claw F for conveniently prying up thefastener when it is desired to remove the same from the floor.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the device is very simple anddurable in construction, is not liable to get out of order, and in caseit is desired to remove the car pet it is only necessary to swing thetop plate B into avertical position and to then lift the carpet off thepins for cleaning or other purposes. Thus the fasteners need not beremoved from the floor, and when the carpet is replaced theabove-described operation is repeated for fastening the carpet in placeby the fasteners.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure byLetters Patent- 1. A fastener for floor-coverings, compris inga base-plate provided with an upwardlyprojecting flange at oneend,downwardly-projecting spurs or prongs for securing it in position,and upwardly-projecting pins for engaging the floor-covering, one of thesaid pins being longer than the others and provided with a shoulder, anda top plate hinged to the flange of the base-plate and provided with anopening through which the longer pin projects and with one edge of whichthe shoulder of the said pin engages to lock the plates together, andwith a hood on its upper face over the opening thereof, said top platebeing adapted to rest upon the shorter pins of the base-plate when thedevice is in use, substantially as described.

2. A fastener for floor-coverings, consisting of a base-plate providedwith downwardlyprojecting prongs at one end, an upwardlyprojectingflange at said end between the prongs thereof, and pins on its upperface, one of the said pins being longer than the others and providedwith a shoulder, and a top plate hinged to the flange of the baseplateand provided with an opening through which the longer pin of thebase-plate projects and with one edge of which the shoulder of the saidpin engages to lock the plates together, and with a hood on its uppersurface over the opening thereof, said top plate being adapted to restupon the shorter pins of the base-plate when the device is in use,substantially as described.

JAMES K. THOMA.

Witnesses:

J M. BRADLEY, GEO. W. SLoAN,

